Is There No Sanctuary?
by Barbara Kennedy
Summary: COMPLETE - A behind-the-scenes vignette set after the TriWizard Tournament at the end of Goblet of Fire. Snape temporarily returns from his
1. Default Chapter

Is There No Sanctuary?  
  
By Barbara Kennedy  
  
This is going to be a very short vignette, my very first fan fiction by  
the way.  
It is a short story of a possible behind-the-scene happening with  
Professor Severus Snape very late one night, near the end of Goblet of  
Fire, after the Tri-Wizard Tournament.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As usual, none of these characters are mine *sigh*. I've just  
borrowed them from J. K. Rowling, with many thanks.  
  
_____________________________________________  
  
A moist wind was gusting and swirling the torch lights spaced along the  
walls and the dark cloak held tightly about a thin hooded figure slowly  
climbing the stairs to the Astronomy Tower in the earliest hours of the  
morning.  
  
The dark sky was clear as crystal above him with a vast ocean of stars  
unseen by the man whose eyes did not leave the stone stairs before his  
feet. There was a distant line of clouds at the horizon, illuminated  
briefly by lightning, foretelling a storm on its way.  
  
When the dark figure reached the top of the stairs, he paused, looking  
around, as if to assure himself that was alone before making his way to  
the low wall at the edge of the tower. He leaned against the stone as if  
needing the support to remain on his feet. His arms were clutched tightly  
about him, though the wind was not cold. With head bowed, he remained in  
that same position for many minutes, as though in deep thought, or in  
painful reverie.  
  
"Are you ill, Severus?" a kindly voice from behind the figure inquired.  
  
The instant transformation of the figure at the wall was astounding. As  
he twirled to face the speaker, his shoulders squared and his back  
straightened, adding inches to his stature. The hood was blown off his  
head by the capricious winds, revealing a long hook-nosed face and greasy  
black hair. His sallow face briefly revealing a surprised and annoyed  
expression quickly replaced with a more relaxed, but guarded look. His  
hand held a wand pointed at the heart of the speaker, but lowered and put  
away the wand as quickly as it appeared.  
  
He saw the eyes of Albus Dumbledore twinkle in amusement at his actions  
before he spoke, "Forgive me, Headmaster. You surprised me. I did not see  
you up here.. No, I am not ill, at least not in body." The last five  
words were mumbled, barely discernable over the sounds of the wind. He  
glanced away again.  
  
Dumbledore peered thoughtfully at Severus Snape; the relatively young  
Potions Master here at Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft, then  
came to stand beside him at the low wall and gazed at the stars above  
them. "I'm often told that, you know. I'm easily overlooked, when I wish  
to be. I've been up here observing the stars, Severus, and thinking. It  
is easier to think where people cannot see you, sometimes, is it not?"  
Dumbledore gave Severus a sideways glance, seeing a curious glance  
returned.  
  
"I should have realized that someone was up here, the torches are not  
normally lit. It was careless of me to be so unobservant." Severus said  
with a tinge of real worry in his voice.  
  
"Are you sure you are alright? You look very tired." Dumbledore looked  
closely at his face, peering over the top of his half-moon glasses.  
  
"All I need is sleep. I haven't rested much since I left. I will be fine  
in the morning. Do not worry yourself." His face showed strain and a  
muscle in his cheek twitched slightly. Dumbledore notice that there was a  
haunted look lingering around his dark eyes. It was apparent to him only  
because he knew this man better than most other people who worked near  
him every day. He was not one to let people near.  
  
"Did things go well?" Dumbledore inquired, turning to face Snape, fixing  
him in his gaze.  
  
"Yes, as well as expected. Our preparations are in motion. Now we must  
wait for the results." Snape turned and leaned once again on the  
stonework of the wall, showing even more weariness than before. "I still  
have some misgivings about my ability to perform the tasks you have given  
me.."  
  
"You will perform them admirably, I am sure Severus, just don't take  
unnecessary risks to try to prove yourself. You have nothing to prove to  
me."  
  
"There is much I must prove after the events of the last week, if not to  
you, I must prove myself yet again to that blind fool, Fudge. Especially  
if he keeps on pretending.."  
  
"Now, now, Severus, let me handle that problem, in my own way."  
  
"I'm sorry, Headmaster, I just don't think it will be that easy to make  
him see. That man was acting like a moron and has been for some time! He  
fears more for his job than for the safety of those depending on him to  
properly do his job! His incompetence is criminal. An empty shell lies  
where once there was a witness and proof of the Dark Lord's return.  
There is a boy being buried by his father and another almost killed  
because.. " Severus faltered and he realized he had been shouting. He had  
been shouting at the one man who understood more about the recent events  
surrounding the disastrous Triwizard Tournament than anyone else he knew.  
Those events had changed his life in ways he dreaded to think of. He was  
not the only one in danger however, the whole wizarding world was at risk  
because the Dark Lord had returned. Voldemort was reborn.  
  
He gathered his cloak and pulled it about his shoulders again, bowing his  
head. "You know my views on the man well enough." He looked directly  
into Dumbledore's eyes. "I did not mean to shout. You will do what is  
best, I know that. I just fear what damage he will cause before you can  
act." He looked away again.  
  
Dumbledore pulled out his pocket watch with the twelve hands and planets  
and peered at it for a short time, then looked intently at the sky above  
them and fiddled with the stem of the watch for a moment.  
  
"I must go have look in on Harry and Moody in the hospital wing for a  
moment before I retire for the night. Come along Severus, I insist you  
get a sleeping potion from Madam Pomfrey, you do look all done in."  
  
"Perhaps you are right, sir, I could use a deep sleep tonight."  
  
They turned and proceeded to the stairs. Dumbledore patted Snape lightly  
on his near shoulder and felt him shivering slightly. At the challenging  
look, with a raised eyebrow, that he received, he merely smiled and  
gripped the shoulder reassuringly, saying nothing of it. He followed  
Snape down the narrow stairway.  
  
Suddenly, about halfway down the stairs, Severus let out the tiniest  
strangled gasp and gripped his left forearm, reeling back onto the stair  
behind him. Dumbledore came around him and gripped his left hand. Snape  
did not resist. He gently raised the sleeve covering the Dark Mark he  
knew was tattooed on Snape's arm. It had faded from the vivid black it  
showed when he had practically shoved it under the nose of Cornelius  
Fudge to a barely discernable pattern of grey, except for the fact that  
it now was an angry red in color and was raised like it had been recently  
placed there with a brand. It looked like it would bleed if it were  
touched, it was so raw in appearance.  
  
"What is it Severus, a summons? Is Voldemort calling his Death Eaters  
together?"  
  
"No." Snape managed a bitter smile. "It is merely a reminder that he is  
thinking of me."  
  
"Can he find you through the mark?"  
  
Snape shook his head, grimacing, "No, otherwise I am sure he would have  
done so long before this. I am sure I have been..a disappointment to him.  
He does not deal with disappointment well. It has been getting worse  
since this afternoon. It was only a minor irritation then. He has  
increased the strength of it slowly over the evening."  
  
His skin had gone even paler than usual and his shivering had increased.  
He spoke through clenched teeth now.  
  
"He has many ways of making his feelings known to those who displease  
him. It is not the first time I have felt that displeasure. Nor is it  
likely to be the last. This, however, is the longest he has shown me  
such..devoted.. attention. It is usually very short, and much less  
intense."  
  
Dumbledore held his hand over the mark and could feel intense heat  
radiating from it.  
He placed a hand under Snape's arm and lifted him back to his feet.  
  
"Come along Severus, let us get you to the hospital wing. I'm sure Poppy  
can at least reduce the heat and do something about your pain. I know we  
cannot remove the mark, but let us see what we can do about this. Do not  
worry, dear boy," Dumbledore reassured Snape before he could begin the  
protest that he had obviously been about to voice "I will keep it as  
secret as possible and you know Poppy won't breathe a word of it either."  
  
Dumbledore half-supported the younger man all the way to the hospital  
wing.  
  
As they drew nearer to the corridor of the hospital wing, Snape  
straightened himself and gently shook off Dumbledore's supporting hand.  
  
"There may be someone awake in there, even at this late hour." Snape  
hissed through his gritted teeth, his breathing rapid from fighting the  
burning pain on his arm. He carefully smoothed his sleeve back down over  
his arm, where large blisters were beginning to form. His hands were  
shaking and he seemed annoyed at that small weakness. He took a slow,  
deep breath, as if to steady himself before he spoke in an almost-normal  
tone. "You go on ahead, I will come in a moment looking for you."  
  
Dumbledore looked concerned, but turned to precede Snape to the door.  
"Very well, but do not wait too long, Severus or I will come and carry  
you in myself if I must. I will inform Poppy that you need to see her  
privately if anyone is awake."  
  
Snape raised an eyebrow but nodded curtly toward the door, indicating he  
wanted Dumbledore to go, twitching one corner of his mouth in a half-  
hearted attempt at a smile of thanks. Shaking his head and smiling at the  
younger man's folly of pride, Dumbledore entered the room and quietly  
closed the door.  
  
Snape shook his lank black hair back out of his eyes and took slow, deep  
breaths as he composed his features to his familiar scowl and waited for  
a full three minutes before he walked to the door in his normal manner.  
  
He stepped through the door and saw that someone was awake, the retired  
Auror Mad-eye Moody. Dumbledore had just recently rescued Moody from  
imprisonment in his own magical trunk, where Crouch Jr. had kept him  
alive while masquerading as Moody. He was in quiet conversation with  
Dumbledore, who was seated beside his bed. The only light showing was a  
candle on the stand beside Moody's bed. Both of Moody's eyes were focused  
on Snape as he motioned him over to his bed at the far end of the row.  
  
Snape saw Moody's bright-blue magical eye shift to a partition around the  
bed where Harry Potter was sleeping after his traumatic experiences at  
the end of the Tournament. Mrs. Weasley, who was here to be at hand for  
Harry, was asleep in an empty bed next to the partition. Her children  
were not in the room.  
  
When he got close Moody spoke quietly. "Albus tells me you were singled  
out for a bit of rough attention today. Saw Dumbledore and you in the  
hallway and wondered what was going on. Come here lad and let me see."  
Snape scowled at being addressed as "lad" but said nothing.  
  
Moody held out his hand and Dumbledore nodded to Snape reassuringly.  
"Madam Pomfrey will be back in a moment, Severus. I've explained to her  
as well as I could what was happening. She has gone to gather the things  
she needed to treat you. You needn't worry. Harry and Mrs. Weasley have  
been given sleeping potions and will not awaken until morning. Her  
children were sent to sleep in Gryffindor Tower."  
  
Snape hesitated, but came closer, still wearing his habitual scowl.  
Though he knew Moody's magical eye could see his arm without doing so,  
Snape carefully rolled up the sleeve to expose his Dark Mark once again  
as he stood next to Moody's bed on the opposite side from Dumbledore. He  
was surprised to see that, in the short time since he had lowered his  
sleeve in the hallway, his arm was now crusted with drying amber-colored  
clear liquid tinged with blood that had begun to seep from the large  
blisters into the fabric, sticking it painfully to his arm. He loosened  
the fabric from his arm with a quick tug, breaking more blisters as he  
did so. He flinched slightly and his hands shook with his shivering, in  
spite of his attempt to hide it.  
  
Moody took a surprisingly gentle but firm grip of his hand and pulled his  
arm closer to his face, both eyes affixed on the raw flesh. "Sure you  
haven't been playing with a dragon, Laddie? Looks fair cooked and I can  
feel the heat from here. You're trembling like you're chilled to the bone  
too. Ye look like ye better take seat until Madam Pomfrey gets back."  
  
"I assure you I have not been anywhere close to a dragon at any time  
today." Snape said rather stiffly, eyes blazing. He jerked his hand from  
Moody's grip. He surprised them by locating another chair nearby and  
sitting without protest.  
  
"What kind of curse d'ye think Voldemort is amusin' himself with to cause  
that?" Moody asked looking at Dumbledore with his good eye, though the  
question clearly had been directed to Snape, who was still the target of  
Moody's magical eye.  
  
Snape raised his left hand in a distracted manner and flexed his fingers  
experimentally before saying "It is nothing more sinister than a simple  
Transferal Charm, but what is being transferred is the cause of what you  
see here. I have seen him use it before as a punishment, but never to  
this extent."  
  
Snape took another tremulous deep breath before continuing, staring at  
his arm, "Perhaps it is more accurate to say that the Dark Lord has been  
using the charm several times today. I have felt it no less than six  
times since midday. Each time the effect has increased. What I am  
experiencing is the match of the pain and damage of someone who has just  
received the Dark Mark, once for each new Death Eater the Dark Lord,  
Lord Voldemort, it seems, has just marked as his most loyal followers."  
  
As he finished speaking, Snape looked towards the inner door of the  
hospital wing where Madam Pomfrey's office and storeroom were located. As  
he started to stand and seemed about to say something more, he grasped  
his arm once again, sucking in a great gasp of air through clenched  
teeth, grimacing in pain, he fell out of the chair. He curled  
convulsively around his arm as he lay on his left side, then slumped  
loosely onto his back, unconscious. His arm was bleeding slowly now and  
wisps of what looked like steam rose from the blackened wound on his arm.  
  
To be continued...  
  
So, let me know what you think. This is my first fan fiction. It was  
originally done in eight short chapters on Chamber of Secrets Forums  
[CoSForums.com] in the library under my name, Barbara Kennedy.  
I'll put up the rest of this two-part short vignette in a couple of days,  
but I want some reviews first. Thank you. 


	2. Realizations and Healing

Is There No Sanctuary?  
By Barbara Kennedy  
  
This is going to be a very short vignette, my very first fan fiction by  
the way.  
It is a short story of a possible behind-the-scene happening with  
Professor Severus Snape very late one night, near the end of Goblet of  
Fire, after the Tri-Wizard Tournament.  
  
Author's Note: I've decided to draw out this story to at least three  
chapters, maybe four. It is also slowly getting revised as I look it over  
before posting it here, so we'll just see what we wind up with at the  
end. I just can't seem to leave the story alone. Poor Snape!  
See replies to last chapter's reviews at the bottom of this chapter. New  
reviews are nice [hint, hint].  
  
DISCLAIMER: As usual, none of these characters are mine. I've just  
borrowed them from J. K. Rowling, with many thanks.  
  
Chapter 2 Realizations and Healing  
  
Before anyone could react to Snape's sudden collapse, the door to Madam  
Pomfrey's office opened and she stood there in her night robe and bed  
cap, with a tray in her hands loaded with bottles, bandages, instruments  
and a long shallow pan.  
"Merlin's beard, Albus! What in the world just happened?"  
She hurried over to Snape, setting the tray on the floor near his head.  
Kneeling, she felt for his pulse at the point of his jaw, it was rapid  
and faint. She felt him shivering and noticed that his breathing was  
quick and shallow and his skin was pale and clammy. "I'm afraid he's in  
shock."  
Dumbledore knelt beside them, his face showing concern.  
"He was just telling us that he believes he has been experiencing  
multiple Transferal Charm effects of Voldemort branding the Dark Mark on  
new followers, several times since midday. Apparently the latest one was  
more than he could bear. He was too proud to confide in anyone earlier,  
I'm afraid. You know how he can be, Poppy. He grabbed his arm and fell  
from the chair just before you opened the door. His arm did not look that  
bad when I saw it just minutes earlier."  
"I need some light" she said, taking out her wand and pointing to a lamp  
sconce on the wall nearby, "Illuminus." The lamp glowed brightly,  
lighting half the room.  
Dumbledore watched as Madam Pomfrey took Severus' left hand in hers and  
gently examined the arm that was still seeping blood and radiating heat.  
The blisters were gone, leaving a skinless raw area where his Dark Mark  
still showed lightly, as if drawn in ashes on his exposed flesh.  
"Poor man, hasn't he suffered enough? Oh, dear, it looks like someone  
just held his arm over a bed of embers. Here, help me get him over to  
this bed." She said as she got up and lifted the tray to a table near an  
empty bed across the aisle from Moody, who was watching curiously from  
his pillow.  
Dumbledore rose nimbly from the floor and held his hand over Snape, who  
gently drifted up from the floor, limp as a rag doll, and over to the  
bed.  
"Hold him up, please, while I remove his cloak and shirt. It will be  
easier to tend him and he will be more comfortable."  
She took out her wand, pointed it to his shoulders, and uttered "Vestem  
Exue." Snape's dark hooded cloak, waistcoat and shirt fell to the bed,  
exposing his slim frame to his waist. She quickly dropped the clothes to  
the floor, kicked them under the bed and indicated he should be lowered  
now. She held his arm and head and guided him onto the pillows as  
Dumbledore gently lowered him.  
She pointed to the pan with her wand and said "Aqua Frigida" and it was  
partly filled with water. She placed the pan on the bed next to his left  
side and lowered Snape's arm into it, the water turning a pink color as  
it was tinged with blood. "This will stop the burning, now let's see  
about his skin too" She then opened a large green potion bottle and  
poured half its clear contents into the water turning it slightly milky.  
A woodsy odor wafted from the pan, like a forest glen after spring rains.  
"This will remove the heat and heal the damage unless he is assaulted  
with any further Charms. Albus, is there anything you can do to prevent  
that?"  
Dumbledore nodded, "I certainly can, Poppy. You just do what you must for  
him and I will prevent any further damage from occurring."  
Dumbledore retreated to the foot of the bed and took out his wand.  
Tracing a circle around the bed with his wand, he performed a powerful  
protective charm.  
"That will prevent any magical effects reaching anyone from outside the  
circle, Poppy. You may still do magic within the circle however. I didn't  
want to interfere should you need to use any magic on him yourself. If  
you need the circle lowered at any time, please notify me, as I am the  
only one who can remove it."  
"Thank you, Headmaster. I don't know whether I'll need to use any magic  
on him unless I have to bind him to the bed long enough to treat him. He  
may be coming around soon and he is not the most cooperative person I've  
ever known. I want to let his arm soak in the healing potion for a bit  
longer before I bandage it. I think he will recover from this attack. I  
was more worried about him being in shock, but he is recovering from that  
now that the pain is lessening. He isn't breathing as shallow and he has  
just about stopped shivering. What is left may be due to the ice water I  
put in the pan he's soaking in. When he does come around, a dose of  
Pepper-up Potion should take care of any lingering effects."  
Well, in that case Poppy, I will leave our esteemed Potions Master and  
your other patients" he said as looked around the hospital wing, "in your  
capable hands and toddle off to bed myself, perhaps after a cup of hot  
chocolate." Turning to the other side of the room, he saw Alastor Moody  
still awake. "Goodnight Alastor, I will see you in the morning. You  
should go back to sleep yourself. There are many things I would like to  
discuss with you in the morning about the new Death Eaters that Voldemort  
has apparently recruited. I'd like to hear more about your little  
adventure as well."  
Moody gave a gravelly chuckle, "I suppose I had better, Albus, before  
Madam Pomfrey pours a sleeping potion down my throat as well. She was  
threatening to do so when you and Snape came in and I do believe she  
meant it. Ye know, Albus, I don't think she appreciates my company."  
"I won't have you possibly waking anyone else. I have a lot to do  
tomorrow. I have more than you to care for. So if you don't settle in and  
go back to sleep you will take a sleeping potion, ex-Auror or no." Madam  
Pomfrey stated in a no-nonsense tone, hands on her hips.  
Moody's good eye was glittering with a touch of humor and his scarred  
face showed a bit more color than it had when he was taken from his  
imprisonment in his own trunk. His wild grey hair had been trimmed to  
even it out somewhat. His wooden leg with the clawed foot carved at the  
end of it still sat on the stand next to his bed.  
"I guess this is one battle I'd better not fight, eh, Albus? You go on to  
bed and I will try to sleep. I hate to admit but I'm still not quite  
ready for a fight yet. I'll see you after breakfast then? Goodnight." He  
reached up to his face and with a squelching pop, removed his magical eye  
and put it in the water glass next to his wooden leg on the stand. He  
then turned over and pulled the covers up to his shoulders.  
On his way out of the hospital wing, Albus Dumbledore took a brief look  
behind the partition at the boy asleep on the bed there. A deep sadness  
showed on his face as he gazed at the sleeping figure. He sighed and  
turned to leave, dabbing at his eye with a linen handkerchief he brought  
out of a pocket in his robe.  
Moody was soon asleep and lightly snoring across the aisle.  
Madame Pomfrey had removed Snape's shoes and was lifting the covers from  
the foot of the bed and covered him, leaving his left arm and the pan  
uncovered, when he groaned and started to show signs of waking.  
"Hush, Severus, be still." She said, as she steadied the pan of potion  
and placed her gentle hand on his shoulder to keep him from moving.  
"Don't go thrashing about or you'll be lying in a wet bed."  
He took a long shuddering breath and slowly opened his eyes. "I am aware  
that you have my arm in a pan, Madam Pomfrey, I will be still. You may  
release my shoulder." He looked at the ceiling as he spoke.  
When she had moved, he looked around at where he was.  
"How long have I been here?"  
"Not very long, Severus, not quite an hour, I think. The Headmaster has  
gone to bed and left you in my care."  
She opened another bottle from her tray and poured a generous measure of  
a potion into a glass. "Here, drink this, you were in shock and this will  
help. I still need to bandage your arm and you should stay here for the  
rest of the night, at least. The Headmaster himself placed a protective  
charm around this bed so you will not be tortured any longer while you  
are here"  
"I appreciate your concern, Madam Pomfrey. I will let you bandage my arm,  
but then I am going to my own rooms. I have to go out again tomorrow. It  
will do no good to argue. I am going." Poppy was clearly annoyed at him  
as she handed him the glass.  
He quickly downed the glass of potion and steam wafted from his ears.  
"Ridiculous side-effect." he muttered as he lay back on the pillow.  
Madam Pomfrey recognized Snape's stubborn expression. She may as well try  
to reason with a stone gargoyle. At least the gargoyle wouldn't  
interrupt. Figuring that it would probably do more harm than good to  
argue with him, she agreed.  
"Where are my clothes and my shoes?"  
"They are on the floor under your bed, at the moment. I haven't had a  
chance to do anything else with them yet."  
She was gently lifting his arm from the pan by his left side. She moved  
the pan off the bed one-handed and spread a towel under his arm.  
She began to examine the area where his Mark had been so raw before. The  
skin was still an angry red, but it was no longer looking like a piece of  
undercooked meat. There was a thin layer of new skin where it had been  
open wound just minutes earlier. "It looks much better. I don't think  
you will be able to tell it was so bad in a few days. Let me dab it dry  
and spread this ointment on it to keep it from itching. You don't want to  
damage the new skin by scratching or it will scar."  
"I am aware what their functions are, as I do make some of these potions,  
you will remember." Snape said irritably and rolled his eyes.  
Madame Pomfrey's eyes blazed and she pursed her lips. "Very well Severus,  
you just hold still then and I will finish this as soon as I can so you  
can leave for your dungeon and potions and I can finally get some rest  
too!"  
In spite of her harsh tone, her hands were gentle as she took a pad of  
gauze and dipped it into a jar of a gel-like cucumber-green clear salve  
and covered the new skin in a thin layer.  
Snape closed his eyes and was surprisingly quiet while she worked. As she  
closed the jar of ointment, Snape turned his face and looked at her. His  
eyes held a hint of sadness. "I am sorry, I shouldn't have spoken like  
that, but I really must go. I have an important potion brewing that needs  
attention by morning. It is why I returned tonight. I appreciate all that  
you and our Headmaster have done for me. It is probably more than I  
deserve."  
Madam Pomfrey was taken by surprise at his words. She had never heard him  
apologize to anyone but Albus Dumbledore before. Her expression softened  
again and she returned her gaze to his arm.  
"That is not true Severus. You deserve to be treated with respect and  
consideration as well as anyone. You've earned the trust of Albus  
Dumbledore. That says a great deal about you to me. Now hold your arm up  
like this while I wrap it."  
She reached and got the roll of bandages from the tray and began winding  
it around his arm in snug, but not too tight, spirals from his wrist to  
just below his elbow.  
"There you are. It should not be visible under your sleeve now. I know  
you wanted anything about this to be secret. At least come back and let  
me see how it is healing sometime tomorrow before you leave. Let me get  
your clothes. Oh dear, I'm afraid I'll need to repair them. I removed  
them in a hurry."  
She leaned down and got his clothing from the floor and drew her wand.  
"Reparo, Reparo, Reparo."  
She placed the pile of clothes on the bed and said "Let me help you on  
with these."  
"No," he said quickly, "I can manage by myself quite well, thank you." He  
pushed off the blankets, sat up and quickly drew on his shirt, slipping  
his bandaged arm into the sleeve first.  
As he dressed, Madam Pomfrey observed him as she bustled around. She  
returned the tray to her office and disposed of the pan of potion,  
magically cleaning it and placing it away for future use. She also put  
out the candle still burning by Moody's bedside before returning to  
Snape, who was just finished with putting on his shoes.  
"Do you know if it will be safe for you to leave the protective circle  
that Professor Dumbledore put up for you?"  
"I won't know until I leave it now, will I?"  
  
TO BE CONTINUED....  
  
Spell descriptions: [* my creation]  
*Illuminus - creates a bright source of light equal to fluorescent  
lighting.  
*Vestem Exue - literally "remove the clothes," can be targeted to  
specific areas or articles of clothing.  
Reparo - repairs damage. (I wasn't sure if it was the right spell to fix  
clothes, but couldn't find anything else to work.)  
  
Answers to first chapter reviews -  
Darkhorse7 - Thank you for being my first reviewer on this site! Yes, the  
story will continue, at least for a couple more chapters. It is a  
vignette, meaning short. It was originally meant to be a one-chapter  
story only. The story has already been written, but I keep revising it.  
I like to get a few reviews before I post the next chapter. I do plan on  
writing a few more stories eventually, but I do as more reading than  
writing, so it is slow.  
Ilmare2, AmajoS, and Moofegurl - Thank you for your kind words and  
encouragement. I'm a Severus Snape fan [and Alan Rickman fan] and it  
shows in my stories.  
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter too. 


	3. Too Stubborn For Your Own Good

Is There No Sanctuary?  
By Barbara Kennedy  
  
This is a very short vignette, my very first fan fiction by the way.  
It is a short story of a possible behind-the-scene happening with  
Professor Severus Snape very late one night, near the end of Goblet of  
Fire, after the Tri-Wizard Tournament.  
  
Author's Note: I've decided to draw out this story to three chapters,  
this is the last one. It is also slowly been revised as I looked it  
over before posting it here, so we'll just see what we wind up with at  
the end. I just can't seem to leave the story alone. Poor Snape!  
See replies to last chapter's reviews at the bottom of this chapter.  
New reviews are always nice [hint, hint].  
  
DISCLAIMER: As usual, none of these characters are mine. I've just  
borrowed them from J. K. Rowling, with many thanks.  
  
*.* indicates stressed word or phrase.  
  
Chapter 3 - Too stubborn for your own good.  
________________________________________________  
  
"Well then, before you leave, Severus, I insist that you let me take  
one more look at you to see if you are over the shock. The Pepper-Up  
Potion should have done its work by now."  
  
"Madam Pomfrey, I have absolutely no wish to be poked and prodded any  
further. Simply let me leave.." Snape started to stand.  
  
"Shut up and sit still!" Poppy gave a small push to the center of his  
chest and he was so surprised, he did just that. He wondered why she  
was loosing her temper with him so easily. She was normally very  
calm. Perhaps she was overwrought because of recent events?  
  
She took hold of his right wrist to check his pulse with one hand  
while she looked at his face. He tried to avoid her touch but she gave  
him a stern glance and brushed his cheek with the curled fingers of  
her other hand anyway.  
  
"Ah, good, your pulse is much stronger. Your color is a bit better  
and you don't feel clammy now. You were in very poor condition when I  
first saw you there, lying on the floor earlier. Why you insisted on  
waiting for most of the day to get back here and have something done  
about it, I'll never understand."  
  
Snape interrupted, quite annoyed, "I had very good reasons why I could  
not simply drop what I was doing and return to Hogwarts because of a  
few twinges.."  
  
"*A few twinges!* Is that what you call it?"  
  
Her voice rose slightly as she dropped his wrist, then, remembering  
she had patients asleep a few beds away, she lowered her tone. She  
stood directly in front of him and shook her finger right at his  
prominent nose.  
  
"Professor Severus Snape, you are far too stubborn and proud for your  
own good!"  
  
He looked somewhat surprised to find himself leaning back from her as  
she continued. He almost appeared cross-eyed for a moment, looking at  
her finger moving so near to his face.  
  
"You have absolutely no *idea* what I'm talking about, do you? You  
are your own worst enemy sometimes, Severus. If you had been hit with  
many more charms like that last one, your arm could have been too  
damaged to save! At the very least you could have been *crippled*.  
Even with potions and healing magic I can repair only so much  
untreated damage. You are aware of that, aren't you, or do you need  
proof? Then, just take a good look at Mr. Alastor Moody there. He is  
as bad as you are at deciding how serious his wounds may be and  
whether or not they need immediate treatment."  
  
Snape was horrified at the thought that he could have lost his arm  
from the damage he thought so trivial earlier in the day. It was  
little more than an inconvenience at first, a painful inconvenience,  
but one he thought he could handle.  
  
"Oh, yes Severus," she continued, "I've seen you flexing your fingers  
when you think I'm not looking, trying to be sure they work. Are they  
a still a bit numb too?"  
  
Poppy grasped his left hand before he could answer and manipulated his  
fingers and wrist, testing the responses of his muscles, tendons and  
reflexes.  
  
"I did notice you had no problems with dressing yourself, though, so  
I'd say they work. I'll wager that your arm still aches quite a bit,  
even now, but of course *you're* not going to tell me. I'm *only the  
trained healer*!" She released her grip on his hand then. Her voice  
was beginning to rise again so she stopped and took a calming breath  
while watching Snape stare at his arm as if seeing it for the first  
time.  
  
Snape held his hand out again. "No, they are not numb..not anymore."  
He flexed the long, slender fingers of his left hand and then rubbed  
each fingertip quickly with his thumb.  
  
"Although," he twisted his lips into a wry grimace, avoiding her  
direct gaze, "I will admit that they were tingling badly and felt weak  
and stiff before the last attack hit me. I had no idea the damage was  
that severe, although I will admit it did hurt..well, quite a bit."  
Snape whispered the last part reluctantly.  
  
Madame Pomfrey looked very grim. "Severus, the damage you suffered  
possibly went all the way to the bones as a result of those charms,  
not just at the surface as a burn from fire would. Your arm was hot,  
but your hand was ice cold and your nails were blue on that hand. That  
told me that your circulation was already failing and there might have  
been nerve damage as well and the muscles and tendons in your arm were  
drawing up from the heat. That is why I left your arm soaking in the  
healing potion for twice as long as usual. I had also added more than  
usual to the pan. You came very close to losing the use of your left  
hand tonight because *you wouldn't seek help* or even *admit* you  
needed it. I didn't want to tell Professor Dumbledore how bad it was  
unless the treatment didn't work. He has enough to worry about right  
now."  
  
The horrified look on Snape's face was not a surprise to Madam  
Pomfrey. He was the Potions Master. His work depended on the dexterity  
of his hands as much as the knowledge stored in his brilliant mind.  
  
"Th..that.. must have been the whole intention of the Dark Lord's  
attack today." He whispered. "Not just to make me suffer, but to  
cripple me as well." He clenched his left hand into a tight fist.  
  
"He makes it painfully clear that I have no sanctuary where I cannot  
be touched in some way. It is also a clear warning that he intends to  
kill me."  
  
Snape paused, clearly considering his own words for a time before he  
again looked into Madam Pomfrey's face. A new look of purpose and  
determination was growing in his tired black eyes.  
  
Poppy noted just how worn and haunted his eyes looked, like deep cold  
water mirroring a starless night. It made him look much older than he  
really was.  
  
"However, this does not come as news to me. I have long accepted that  
he would probably seek to kill me if he ever returned. I do not seek  
his forgiveness, even more, I do not want it."  
  
He snapped suddenly out of his reverie and his habitual scowl masked  
his face again.  
  
"Are you through with your examination now, Madam?" He looked  
challengingly into her face once more. She noted his mask was in place  
once again. "If you are, I will go now, as it is late and I daresay  
you need your rest as well."  
  
He stood quickly and swayed on his feet slightly before regaining his  
balance.  
Madam Pomfrey simply stood in front of him without a word for half a  
minute, mutely challenging him to walk through her. She stood at the  
edge of the protective circle Dumbledore had cast.  
  
"Oh, all right! Very well, Severus, but I insist that you return or  
send for me the moment you feel any more effects like that." She  
pointed to his bandaged arm. "I don't care what time it is either!  
Dumbledore would never forgive me if anything drastic happened to his  
Potions Master."  
  
"Of course, Madam Pomfrey, I promise you will know at the earliest  
*twinge*." He gave her a small stiff bow and swept past her. "Thank  
you for your kind ministrations and goodnight."  
  
Snape was hardly out the door of the hospital wing before he was hit  
with an impulse he couldn't fight. His face contorted and his eyes  
watered with the effort of fighting it.  
  
He yawned.  
  
It was such an intense and overpowering yawn that he couldn't see for  
a moment. It left him almost breathless and, surprised at its  
intensity, wondering if it was another attack. He stood leaning  
against the wall for a moment, shaking his head.  
  
He knew it wasn't another attack, though.  
  
He was tired.  
  
No, he was beyond tired.  
  
He was exhausted.  
  
He was almost desperately in need of sleep. Apparently any  
invigorating effects he had from the Pepper-up Potion were rapidly  
wearing off.  
  
He took another deep breath and continued steadily to his own quarters  
near his classroom in the dungeon and not far from the Slytherin  
dorms.  
  
He thankfully did not meet Filch or any of the School Prefects he knew  
to be patrolling the dark hallways of the castle even at this early  
morning hour. It must be nearly 3 AM. He was especially thankful that  
he saw no sign of that blasted nuisance, Peeves the Poltergeist. He  
had no patience to deal with any of them now.  
  
He arrived before his door after carefully navigating the long  
stairway down into the dungeons, yawning a few more times as he  
descended, gripping the wall for support. He brought out his wand and  
removed the enchantments and wards he always placed on his door to  
insure no one could gain access to his private domain but him [and the  
house-elves who seemed immune to wizard locks despite many efforts on  
his part].  
  
Even this simple task seemed to drain his energy. He entered and  
replaced the wards on the locked door. He was not surprised to find  
the fireplace lit and a candle burning on his private worktable next  
to the cauldron gently simmering over a magical flame in the center of  
the table. Though hardly able to keep his eyes open, he took a moment  
to stir the potion and check its progress, adding more ingredients  
from small jars at the end of the table.  
He passed from his study back to his bedroom while removing his cloak  
and throwing it over the back of a chair near his bed instead of  
hanging it as he normally would. His frockcoat and shirt soon joined  
them. As he sat on the chair to remove his shoes, he stared at his  
bandaged arm again, remembering Madam Pomfrey's news that he had been  
lucky tonight and not lost the use of his hand. His gaze shifted to an  
item many might have been surprised to know he possessed, a  
beautifully crafted harp which stood in a curtained-off corner of his  
most private chambers. It had been his mother's harp.  
It had been a long time since he had been able to bring himself to  
play, but he felt the need to at least touch the strings, if only to  
reassure himself that he could.  
As he caressed the strings, an amazing transfiguration seemed to  
spread across his features. His face relaxed and the habitual scowl  
disappeared to be replaced with a peaceful and sad expression as he  
played a short piece his mother had loved, his fingers sure and fluid  
on the strings.  
He finished and sat with head bowed for a moment, he then arose from  
the harp and finished preparing for bed. He was now so sleepy he  
didn't bother pulling on his grey night shirt, but simply fell into  
the bed in his Slytherin-green-and-silver paisley boxer shorts and  
pulled the covers over his shoulders. He was asleep in less than a  
minute.  
As a testament to his exhaustion or the influence of the music, his  
sleep was undisturbed for the first time in ages.  
He left the castle early the next day to continue his secret work for  
Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix. No one else was even aware  
that he had been there.  
THE END  
  
[A/N - After I saw the movie "Truly, Madly, Deeply" I wished that I  
had made the musical instrument in the story a cello.]  
  
To all my reviewers:  
  
SalemsCat, Dragongirl19, Andragol, bluebird161221 and Snapefan51  
  
Thank you so much for reading my story and taking the time to review.  
It means a lot to me.  
  
To anyone who read the story but didn't review, shame on you [lol].  
Reviews keep the plot bunnies alive.  
  
I'll be writing another story soon. In the meantime check out  
"Learning To Live Again". I'll be working on that one for quite a long  
time.  
  
Thank you all.  
Barbara Kennedy 


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